Chapter17
Two Young Ladies Converse
An hour later
Helen was about to lift Bradley into the hantour she was sharing with Diana when her mother hurried over to take the boy into her arms.“He can ride with me, darling,” she said.“With all this fresh air he’s had today, I expect he’ll sleep most of the way to Dashur.”
Given the distance from the pyramids at Saqqara to those they would see near Dashur, Omar had said to expect the trip to take nearly an hour-and-a-half.
Helen watched as her father helped her mother into their hantour, the two disappearing from view behind the curtains that hung from the hood of the equipage.The lightweight fabric did little to lessen the heat of midday, but it did help to keep out the red desert dust kicked up by the other hantours.
“You’re so good with him,” Diana remarked.“Might I ask, did his father not wish to come along on the trip?”
Helen blinked.“Bradley’s father?”she asked in confusion.“But...he did.”She suddenly scoffed but displayed a grin.“His father ismyfather.What I mean to say is, Bradley is my brother.”
It was Diana’s turn to blink.“Oh.Given his age and how he’s usually with you, I just assumed he wasyourson,” she replied.“Forgive me.”
“Oh, it’s all right,” Helen replied happily.“I rather like that I seem to be doing it correctly.Motherhood, I mean.I want children of my own so much, you see.”
Not surprised to hear the admission, Diana said, “From what I recall of our time at finishing school, you’re not much younger than I am.”
“Only a year’s difference,” Helen acknowledged.
“But being here means you’ll be missing the Season,” she reasoned.“Or did you leave a beau back in London?”
Helen stiffened.“Uh, no.”
When she looked as if she might say something more, Diana arched a brow.“But...you...have someone in mind?”she asked, arching a brow as if in a tease.
Her gaze darting about as if she was trying to decide how to respond, Helen finally nodded.“When I encouraged my father to arrange this trip to Egypt, it was because I hoped...well, it was because I knew when Lord and Lady Bellingham were expected to be here.”
Diana gave a start.“Youwantedto be in Egypt at the same time as we were?”
Helen nodded.
“But why?”
Dipping her head, Helen seemed reluctant to to respond.“Because I knew the Forsters would be here.”
Diana blinked before her eyes rounded.“You came because...”She stopped, about to mention her husband’s name before she scoffed and suddenly inhaled.“Because Thomas is with us,” she whispered.
“Please, don’t tell anyone,” Helen begged.
Momentarily confused, Diana seemed to think for a moment before she reached out and took Helen’s gloved hand in hers.“Are you in love with him?”
A grimace passed over Helen’s face before she finally nodded.“I think so.I was more sure before we left London.Absolutely positive before he left London.”
Not having been in London in some time, Diana was momentarily confused.“You had reason to believe he might feel affection for you?”
Helen nodded.“He...he kissed me during a ball.In the gardens.The night before they departed London.”
“The Morganfield’s ball?”Diana asked.
“That’s the one.How is ityouknow of it?”Helen asked.
Although Diana had been in Girgenti on Sicily at the time, she had heard tales of the fête from Randy and his aunt.Overheard David and Tom speak of it.It had been at that ball that David Slater had arranged a betrothal of convenience with Miss Jane Fitzsimmons as a means of providing her protection from unwanted suitors.
“In a round about manner, I acquired a sister because of that ball,” Diana replied.When she noted Helen’s look of confusion, she explained what had happened.“Penton’s pretend betrothal with Miss Jane worked perfectly until my brother Marcus met her.He’s friends with her brother, Antonio—from school, you see.When they arrived in Athens, my brother and I had only recently taken up residency in a house arranged for our family’s use while my father was to work on the Acropolis.”
